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Not many Canadian athletes - Summer or Winter Olympics - have given Canadian fans reasons to cheer in two Olympic Games.
Speedskater Gaetan Boucher of Rosemere, Que. did.
At the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, Boucher was the only serious threat to American phenom Eric Heiden, winner of five gold medals in speedskating. Boucher finished second to him in the 1,000 meters and won a silver medal.
But the Quebec athlete's big moments came in the subsequent Olympic Games in 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. First of all he was given the honour of carrying the Canadian flag at the opening ceremonies. Then, despite high cholesterol problems which he had even though he ate proper food and exercised regularly, Boucher raced in three individual speedskating events.
Gaetan was on fire, so to speak, and shocked the world by winning gold medals in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters. Then, almost as an afterthought, he picked up a bronze medal in the 500-meter event.
At those 1984 Olympics, Canada picked up a total of four medals, three by Boucher. Figure skater Brian Orser won a silver.
A memorable moment of Canadian Olympic glory by a gallant and dedicated speedskater who was the forerunner of the current generation of great Canadian Olympians in the sport.